Sixth Graders plan a new park for Soldotna

Posted: Tuesday, March 12, 2002

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, a group of Anne Pfitzner's six grade students at Soldotna Elementary School, went to the Village Fair at SoHi to showcase their plan for a new park in Soldotna at the former DOT site next to the Soldotna Creek Park.

"It started in wanting a project for the students to become more of a part of their community and to see that they can really make a difference if they put their minds and hearts to it," said Ms. Pfitzner.

The class took a community survey and held discussions with local officials and interested leaders to determine how the park should be designed. The model created by the students represents what they learned from the survey. "We plan for there to be a gazebo for bands to play concerts, and a memorial for Veterans and Police and Fireman where we can have ceremonies, and picnic areas where people can spend their days off or birthday parties or anniversaries, we'll have kite flying and water fountains and other sports like football and everything fun," said sixth grader Paige Blackburn as she talked over the planned park with a visitor at their booth.

The students now plan to follow through with the project by working with the governing bodies such as the Soldotna City Council and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. While the students may be in the 8th grade before the project becomes reality they plan to stick with the project through middle school or for as long as it takes to get completed.